Shovels and scoops are well-known in the art as tools for removing many materials from a path. Shovels and scoops range from large electro-mechanical devices fashioned to remove tons of material from construction sites, to small hand-held manual devices which are used to remove snow from a small path such as a sidewalk. All such scoops and shovels are generally useful for moving materials from one area to another depending on the desires of the individual using the shovel or scoop, the amount of material to be removed, and the time constraints attendant in the particular job to be accomplished.
In the area of small manual devices which are used by individuals to move materials from one spot to another, many shovels and scoops have been devised to accomplish this task. As with most other devices which aid in manual labor, manual shovels and scoops are generally designed with an eye towards making work performed more efficient and less backbreaking for the individual performing with the shovel or scoop. This is particularly true for snow shovels and scoops which are commonly used by individuals in areas which experience substantial snowfall accumulation.
Most individuals who live in these areas must constantly "dig themselves out" from snowfalls so that they may clear their driveways and sidewalks and go about their daily business after a snowfall. However, hardly a snow season passes where reports of individuals who have overexerted themselves and suffered physical injury due to snow shoveling do not reach the media. There is a long-felt need in the art for snow removal and plow devices which efficiently and safely aid individuals in manually removing snow from paths such as, for example, driveways, sidewalks and streets.
Familiarity with standard scoops and shovels for removing snow and other materials will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and methods and apparatus for performing material removal using shovels and scoops are indeed diverse. Generally shovels and scoops comprise a handle for gripping and providing leverage to remove materials of various weights, and a scoop or plow portion fastened to the end of the handle which physically moves material from the surface when force is applied to the handle, thereby scooping the materials or plowing the materials to another area.
In the case of scoop-type materials handling devices, the user must apply force to lift material on the scoop and deftly place the material in another area away from the path which is to be cleaned. In the case of plow-type materials handling devices, the individual exerts pressure on the handle which forces the plow across the surface in an effort to move the material a small distance away from the path which is desired to be cleared.
The aforementioned materials handling devices fail to solve long-felt needs in the art for efficient and easy material removal since both require significant work to be performed in order to accomplish the goal of moving the material away from the path. In the case of the scoop-type shovel, an inordinate amount of labor must be performed to physically move the material in the scoop from one area to another. Depending upon the amount of the material moved, individuals who lack stamina and strength will simply not be able to perform the task of removing the material with a scoop-type shovel materials handling device. In the case of the elderly who live alone but still maintain a residence requiring them to remove snow from the paths around the residence, a scoop-type snow removal shovel presents a significant deterrent from removing the snow since the elderly are not usually able to perform heavy lifting work required with such a manual device. Similarly, individuals with medical problems or who simply lack stamina and strength are unable to remove snow from surfaces with prior shovels and scoops.
Many of the problems apparent in the scoop-type device also exist with plow-type materials handling devices. In addition, plow-type devices are not normally constructed to move materials a far distance from the path, but usually only move the materials a short distance to either side of the path. Therefore if an inordinate amount of material lies on the path to be cleared, a plow-type device simply will not sufficiently move the material away with one pass but must be repeatedly applied to the path in order to clear it. Thus, for individuals who have reduced strength and stamina such as the elderly, a plow-type device is simply ineffective and impractical. Plow-type devices do not satisfy a long-felt need in the art for materials handling devices which efficiently and quickly remove unwanted materials from a path or area to be cleared.
Many shovel and plow materials removal devices have been utilized in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,315,743, Sieg, discloses a path-making device which comprises a shovel body and deflector portion connected to a handle. See Sieg, col. 2, lines 27-32. A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 992,871, Harvey, which teaches a combination shovel and plow consisting of a triangular plow frame and plate connected to a handle. See Harvey, col. 1, line 31 through col. 2, line 58.
The devices disclosed in the Sieg and Harvey patents fail to solve a long-felt need in the art for efficient, work-reducing materials handling devices. The problems heretofore delineated with respect to prior materials handling devices are all found in the devices disclosed in Sieg and Harvey and the devices disclosed therein comprise cumbersome metal constructions which are difficult to physically handle. Furthermore, the devices disclosed in the Sieg and Harvey patents are hybrid plows, shovels and scoops which consequently cannot perform efficiently as either a scoop or a plow.
Other scoop-type snow plows are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,651, Lavell. The Lavell patent discloses a scoop-type plow made up of a blade formed from a single piece of sheet metal and shaped into a scraping edge at the forward portion of the plow. The sheet metal plow disclosed in Lavell further comprises an upwardly and rearwardly inclined incising cutting edge which is disposed at a right angle to the scraping edge of the plow. See Lavell, col. 1, lines 26-36. However the construction apparent in the device disclosed in the Lavell patent while purportedly being a scoop, actually more closely resembles a plow-type snow removal device which suffers the infirmity of allowing snow to pile up in the scoop area of the snow plow while being used. The devices disclosed in the Lavell patent cannot efficiently remove snow from a surface since only a small portion of snow can be held in the scoop at any one time, and therefore much physical labor is required to remove large amounts of snow from a single area.
Other shovel-type devices and snow plows are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,237, Abrahams. The device disclosed in the Abrahams patent is a complex metal welded construction which comprises a flat center board with two arcuate wings attached thereto, and a set of plowshares mounted to the center board. Another type of shovel for removing materials is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,574, Pasquale. The Pasquale patent teaches a shovel with a standard blade section, and a handle of U-shaped construction that is attached at an angle to a frame and supporting member which is also U-shaped. The U-shaped construction of the handle and frame members purportedly provides a fulcrum, and two separate locations for gripping by the left and right hands separated by the distance of the handle.
Thus, the device disclosed in the Pasquale patent must be manipulated according to a specific gripping stance which is difficult and cumbersome. Furthermore, the devices disclosed in the Pasquale and Abrahams patents, as well as the other plows and shovels described above do not satisfy a long-felt need in the art for a materials handling device which efficiently and easily removes materials from a desired path or area. This long-felt need has not heretofore been fulfilled by any prior devices.
Several other examples of snow plows and shovels of a similarly heavy metal construction exist in the art. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 426,435, Clark; U.S. Pat. No. 801,090, Kenney; U.S. Pat. No. 588,363, Stauffer; U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,732, Selin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,811, Pravednekow; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,431,661, Karlsen. However, none of the devices disclosed in these patents solve the aforementioned long-felt needs and problems in the art. The advantages and features of materials handling devices provided in accordance with the present invention will be understood from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the drawings.